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Being a little overweight is good for your health, a study suggests.
But being stick thin like some celebrities and supermodels increases the risk of death, it is claimed.
The findings are the result of a 'highly sophisticated' statistical analysis by the American government watchdog, the Centres for Disease Control.
Considered the most comprehensive ever undertaken, it agrees with several smaller studies in recent months which all show that those who are a little overweight have a lower risk of death than those of normal weight.
At present, doctors define obesity by calculating a person's body mass index (BMI), which is worked out by dividing their weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared.
In these categories, someone 5ft 8in tall is 'underweight' if they weigh 8st 10lb or less (with a BMI of less than 18.5); they are 'normal' if they weigh 8st 10lb to 11st 10lb; they are 'overweight' if they weigh 11st 10lb to 14st and 'obese' if their BMI is 30 and they weigh 14st to 16st 5lb. Anything over that weight is extremely obese.
The scientists analysed death rates and BMI for their research. They found the lowest death rate was among those with a BMI of between 25 and 29 who would currently be classed as 'overweight'.
Ideal body weight
The ideal bodyweight, associated with the lowest risk of premature death, was 25, which lies between 'normal' and 'overweight'.
As a result, U.S. government experts have dramatically cut the annual number of deaths they blame on people being overweight from 365,000 to just 25,814.
It means that, officially, more people 34,000 now die each year in the U.S. because they are underweight rather than overweight. Most of these are aged 70 or older.
The experts have changed their views because the new study used more recent data and better statistical techniques, including factors such as smoking, age, race and alcohol consumption, to calculate the risk to a person's health.
Preventable death
Based on the calculations, excess weight drops from the second leading cause of preventable death after smoking to seventh.
Researcher Dr David Williamson, who is overweight himself, said: "If I had a family history a father who had a heart attack at 52, or a brother with diabetes I would actively lose weight. As it is, I'm comfortable with my size."
Biostatistician Mary Grace Kovar, who studied the report, said the classification for normal weight is now probably set too low.
In addition, 'overweight' people are eating more healthily, exercising more, and controlling their blood pressure and cholesterol better than they used to, she said.
She added: "The researchers in this study have been very careful and are not overstating their case."
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